Do we have to have resservaions?

[Tigger1]

We are a very relaxed family at Disney. The children are in thier teens and tweentys now and split up lot, sleep in, we go wear we want to go when we want to go. I do plan on doing the Dining plan on our next trip. Do we need reservations? Will we be denied access or just have to wait on a table?

I think the kids would like an early dinner, 4esh and then grab a counter meal to take back to the hotel or eat at downtown Disney about 9 or 10.

Any ideas for us?

Thanks Tigger

 

[maddhatir]

it depends greatly on what time of the year you are going.

When are your ressies?

 

[JennyDrake]

Ever since the Dining Plan started, it has become almost impossible to get last minute or even last week reservations. Keep in mind that I do NOT travel to WDW during peak seasons, but am there 3 times a year (in conjunction with business.)
The first week in Decmeber, we encountered NUMEROUS restaurants that not only had to ADR available for the day, but were completey turning away walk ins saying that they had NO spots for diners w/o ADR for the entire day.
Sure slaps the joy out of spontaneous dining. Epcot seems to be the worst, but of course it also has the most choices.

Jenny

 

[Hopefully]

I think that if you are paying for the Dining Plan you will need ADR's for your TS meals. Otherwise it is very probable that you will not able to eat at a TS restaurant and you will waste your credits.
Since you want to eat early, you might be able to be seated, but I wouldn't take the chance. I think most TS start serving dinner at about 5PM and that is a busy time for families with young children.
When we were there in October, we say walk ups turned away everywhere we went.
If you really don't want to plan, you may be better off not doing the Dining Plan. You may find, however, that Dining Plan or not, without ADR's you will be eating mainly CS meals.
HTH

 

[Allison]

I was there in early December like Jenny and saw people being turned away.

You need reservations.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

If you want to eat in the parks, I highly recommend making ADRs for dinner. If you plan to eat at any of the hotels you'll probably have good luck as a walk-in.

During both our trips in October and late January, the Magic Kingdom restaurants were not taking walk-ins for dinner because they were booked. A couple of weeks ago I wanted to make an ADR for this May for Coral Reef (Epcot) for 6:00pm, and the best I could get was 7:50pm. I had no problem getting 6:00pm for Coronado Maya Grill or Concourse Steakhouse during that same call.